Unanimous Election for Council President Isaac Benton
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Council President Martin Heinrich Sets Redevelopment of Historic De Anza Motor Lodge in Motion
Tonight the Albuquerque City Council unanimously approved a contract with De Anza, LLC, a re-development company, to investigate the renovation of the De Anza Motor Lodge, a historic motel located on Central Avenue near Washington SE.
The motel has long sat vacant and has posed a blight to the surrounding neighborhoods of Nob Hill and Highland. De Anza, LLC plans to restore the majority of the property into an up-scale, historically intact motel, much like the El Rey Inn in Santa Fe, NM.
The De Anza Motor Lodge's significance as a vintage historic landmark motel along Albuquerque's portion of Route 66 is considerable. The motel was partly built by members of Zuni Pueblo and inside the motel's basement are various Zuni murals that have been noted for their historical significance, requiring the motel to be given a historical designation.
"This project has been designated by the surrounding neighborhoods as an important potential catalyst for re-vitalization of the area, in tandem with the many other efforts to improve the Central Avenue corridor eastward," said Heinrich. "I am so excited to see this private and public partnership moving forward in the heart of Albuquerque's Southeast Heights." The recently completed Central/Highland/Upper Nob Hill Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Plan lists the De Anza Motor Lodge as not only holding the potential to be a catalyst for the east end of Nob Hill and the Highland neighborhood, but also encouraging the continuous re-development of the Central Avenue (Route 66) corridor from downtown Albuquerque to San Mateo Boulevard.
De Anza, LLC hopes to renovate the motel's rooms commensurate with up-scale accommodations and to reduce the number of rooms to between 50 and 60 rooms by creating several suites out of two or more adjoining rooms.